1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the provision of content over a network by a content provider. In particular, the invention relates to the provision over a network of high-bandwidth content and to the provision of content over a network by enlisting one or more network sites to facilitate the distribution of content on behalf of a content provider.
2. Related Art
An ongoing problem for content delivery networks is the delivery of high-bandwidth content in a satisfactory manner. High-bandwidth content is any content that requires relatively (as compared to the bandwidth capabilities of the network) large data transmission rates in order to effect transmission of the content within an acceptable period of time. High-bandwidth content can be, for example, a single set of data intensive content (e.g., video content, three-dimensional visual still images). High-bandwidth content can also be multiple sets of content that are to be transmitted at the same time (e.g., customized content) so that, together, the sets of content are data intensive.
For example, as discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/144,369, entitled “Ameliorating Bandwidth Requirements for the Simultaneous Provision of Multiple Sets of Content over a Network,” filed on Aug. 31, 1998, by Trevor I. Blumenau, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, delivering individualized or customized content (different streams of data delivered at the same time and/or the same stream of data delivered at different, but overlapping, times) to many content users across a network (e.g., the Internet) is extremely challenging. Delivery of such content can be facilitated by strategically placing a multiplicity of servers at key places (nodes) in the topology of the network to allow for “hand-offs.” For example, in one system for distributing low-bandwidth content over the Internet to a very large number of people, several servers on which copies of the content are stored have been connected worldwide at different nodes on the Internet to effect distribution of the content.
Video content is typically data intensive (even more so as the quality of the video increases). A single set of video content can be high-bandwidth content. For example, delivering full video streams to large audiences on the Internet (or similar network) so far has been impossible. Existing systems for delivery of video streams over the Internet suffer from undesirable limitations. For example, CNN distributes video streams over the Internet, but the video streams are limited to a pixel resolution of less than 320×240 and the video streams include only very short clips using very low frame rates. Some Web sites have broadcasted video streams over the Internet, but, again, the frame size is small and the frame rate low. Additionally, those Web sites have not delivered customized video content (in terms of either the time of delivery—i.e., video on demand—or the actual content delivered).